Local official sued for theft, assaults reporter

Local official sued for theft, assaults reporter

BELGRADE -- The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) has asked the police to punish the attacker on Beta agency's Gornji Milanovac-based journalist Živko Perišić.

Peršić was assaulted by the local community (MZ) of Zagrađe President Mile Trišić.

Trišić physically attacked Perišić on Friday, July 18, in front of a market place in Gornji Milanovac, and the victim later informed the police and journalists' associations.

"He started yelling at me, insulting me ​​and then physically attacked me," said Perišić, adding that he was concerned for his safety because he was the target of Trišić's insults since January.

Namely, at this time the journalist reported a statement made by the director of the power distribution company (Elektrodistribucija) in Lazarevac that Trišić was charged with stealing electricity. According to this, the local official used a cable to bypass the electricity meter in his home.

Tršić then had electricity cut off to his house and was ordered to pay over RSD 200,000, and had the meter displaced from his home onto a streetpole "so he could not have contact with it."

In December, the power distributor filed a lawsuit against Tršić before the Municipal Court in the town of Čačak.

The UNS noted in its statement on Monday that "threatening the safety of persons who perform work of public interest by informing is punishable by six months to five years in prison."